Family Day

Celebrate our birthday with us. This year we’re 131 and hosting a special Family Day on Saturday, 10 June (10.30 – 3.30) filled with creative and fun activities for all the family. Bring a picnic to enjoy outside and visit Café Bowes for a special treat. Here’s what to look forward to on the day:

⛲️ Floating Fountains – Join Bright Woods Forest School outside to bring your own floating creations and try them out in the fountain.

🛝  Parkland Play – Borrow hula hoops, balls and bats to play in the parkland

📒 Outdoor Trail – Explore our parkland with Debbie Bower from Foundation Press to help us create an exciting Play Book for the summer holidays, we need your ideas!

🥳 Artist Makers – Join artist, Zoe Allen for ‘Happy Bowes Birthday!’ We’re having a birthday party in this creative drop-in workshop, make hats, decorations, paper cakes and gifts.

🎭 Theatre Games – Join in lots of theatre games with Mad Alice Theatre Company and act out some of the amazing story of founders Joséphine and John Bowes. Joséphine herself was an actress in The Theatre de Varieties, where she first met John.

😊 Spotlight Tour – Birthdays are sometimes an occasion for looking back and asking ‘how did we get here?’ Join one of our fantastic guides for a tour, taking place at  11.30, 13.30 and 14.30.

🐒 Family Tour – Take part in a Family Tour and see if you can spot some celebrations happening in our collections. An interactive and short friendly tour designed especially for our younger audiences. Taking place at 11.00, 12.30 and 2.00.

👶 Stay and Play – A space for our youngest visitors to enjoy! Free play with toys and an opportunity to relax in the gallery.

🎨 Oodles of Doodles – Have fun with the team and get busy making and creating. Explore a variety of art materials and let your imagination go wild. All events are included with admission. Members, under 18’s, full-time students and carers go free. No booking required. See you soon!